How have you saved for DW?

[MisMikiNikiLynne]

We forgo eating out. If we need to be away from home we will pack a picnic. We don't do much for concerts, theme parks, fairs, etc. We usually plan our BIG trip and then pay it off as we can. I do loads of Ebay and that usually is the bulk of our trip!

 

[mickeymouse1017]

I purchase a few gifts cards a month through a program that we have at school. That way I am accumulating the gift cards a few at a time but have them there to pay for things like ressies when needed. It is easier to get a few at a time than to have to charge everything all at once.

 

[DisneyJenn18]

Just the thread I was looking for!

for the last 6 weeks I have worked a second job iin addition to my full time job...Im starting to run on steam...but I keep telling myself FOR DISNEY FOR DISNEY!!!! I want to have my vacation paid off before I go, and I am already half way there.

All my "non-disney" friends think I have lost my marbles...

 

[BigGreen73]

We have a Disney Rewards Visa card. We have started using it for paying our monthly bills and grocery. The only thing is you NEED to be sure that you set aside the money for paying these things. That way when you pay them on the Visa you automatically have the money you would have used to pay the bill and pay back the Visa. This way you earn a dollar on every one hundred dollars you spend. For instance, we just put new tires on DW's car. We would have to do this regardless, so we put it on the Visa and payed it back immediately, but got 5.40 as rewards because we used the card. We pay our yearly taxes using it and have started buying our groceries using it. Any big purchase works to your advantage, as long as you set aside the money to put it back on the card you are safe. It is money you would spend anyway, so why not get something in return. We are often able to pay for several meals using our rewards dollars, but you NEED to be strict in paying off the the charge as you make it. In other words something you would have paid for anyway!! We do not use it for something that we would have not paid cash for, so it doesn't come back to hurt us. It is very disciplined but it works out for us.

Man, I wish the DW and I could be that disciplined. We are usually good, but we wouldn't be able to pull that off. But who knows, we may try it.

We usually purchase the reservation and airfare with our Disney Visa and pay it off so much a month. It has worked so far for us.

 

[mmkk]

I am a SAHM so I don't have a monetary paying job outside of the home-I get paid in so many other ways though!

I have been doing ExpoTv video reviews and with two months of reviews I have made well over what I owe for our Disney trip, so some of the extra will go towards souvenirs!

And then the rest of the money I will make will go towards everything else we need extra money for!

 

[MomofCKJ]

I have a Disney jar and all loose change goes in there. I also worked as a temp Jan-Mar part time (I do have a permanent p/t job too) at my husband's boarding school doing some secretarial work and all that money went towards our upcoming March trip plane tickets.

I have begun doing Expo TV. And also for Christmas we asked MIL to give us $$ for our trip rather gifts that we don't really need. We did this last year too. So we will get a very nice chunk o change from her to pay towards the trip as she is always quite generous.

Allyson

 

[rotlex]

We keep a separate "vacation" account with our investment services. Each month, I try to put a minimum of $500 in there if I can. I found once I got into the habit of this, if I CAN'T put the money in, it actually eats at me until I can double up the next month.

Now, I may not use all the money for vacation, but it's kind of a self imposed forced savings that we also use for things like home repair etc. But in the end, if I take a few thousand a year from it for vacation, I won't feel bad, as that's what it is really for!

As a side note, we also do ALL of our shopping with a credit card, Capital One Rewards, that gives us decent miles for flying. We pay it off every month of course, but it's REALLY nice knowing that by the end of the year, our flights will pretty much be free!

 

[Tink3Belle]

I cut back on groceries. The more you buy the quicker they eat it.
(Mainnly snacks . . . _

 

[bbangel]

Like many I do the spare change jar for vacation money.
I also do Sunshine Rewards to help pay for the extras like my Halloween party tickets.

 

[jimmiej]

On our last trip (July '07), we paid for ~20% of our trip using credit card rewards (including Disney Visa) & collecting our spare change.

Like someone else said, we've been using our Disney Visa to pay for groceries, gas, & a couple of our larger bills every month. I figure our next trip will be in about two years. By that time, we should have close to $400 in rewards built up! That's a big chunk of money I don't have to find somewhere else.

 

[bab31]

LOL, I tried donating plasma once-I got very sick. My blood pressure dropped and once I finally got up, I fainted twice. I spent HOURS there and they asked me nicely to please not come back!! So I just put my extra change in a jar.

They needed to turn your return rate down! the first time I gave I started having those horrible symptoms and they stopped my donation. My symptoms did not escalate to yours, but they said ask for my return rate to be lowered. I can tell if they dont do it. I have not donated all summer. I also dont feel "well " for a few hours. But that is what I did to help save for our trip.

 

[momma2minnie]

we do the disney jar thing here DD3 gets VERY excited when she finds a coin lying around. she yells DISNEY JAR!!! and can't wait to deposit it. also DH has been working serious OT (like every night for about 2 months) but he has managed to earn enough to fund our trip in Dec. It has been lonley for myself and DD as DH and I work opposite shifts and have had very little "family time" but it will be worth it in the end. I will begin picking up extra shifts as well for spending money.

 

[toystoryduo]

This is a great thread!

Here's what we do to save for our WDW trip:

* eBay

* Change Jar

* Rewards Programs (My Points, Sunshine Rewards, Quick Rewards)

* My DH deejays weddings with a friend on Saturday nights.

* Surveys (Survey Spot, Focus Groups, e.t.c)

* My DH is self employed and if he makes money over our budget amount each month, we split it between Disney and our savings account.

Keep the great ideas coming!

 

[prekteacher]

i take all the change that i get in one week and put in a bank at home. we did this last year for a camping trip and we have $450 for half a year. so i guess that we will have $1000 for a whole year and when we till the children we are going they will add there change to.

 

[Allegro]

Not really. We have our last car payment next month and I guess that money will become our Disney fund, in theory. It will also be our basement finishing fund, or re-landscaping fund, my new clothes fund ...

 

[Suzimom]

What a great thread!

We just started our Disney jars -- we have a family one and DS has his own. He's too funny, though...when he finds a penny in the street, he's thrilled to add it to his jar...He puts it in his pocket and it ends up in the wash!!! So then Mom gets it! I don't feel too badly -- he still reaps the benefit in the end!!

I am intrigued by these surveys and rewards programs...hmmm...going to do some investigating!!

BTW -- I believe this is my 75th post -- Mouseketeer, here I come....??!!!!!

 

[Belle's Mom Tink]

We have the disney vacation fund jar, which is a jar with a cover over it and a picture of the castle on it, so I have no idea what is in there.

I also have the Disney Rewards card and now use it for everything I used to use my debit card for.

I also started my own Pampered Chef business a few months ago as a way to make some extra cash, hopefully I will start making some money soon and that will go towards the vacation fund.

 

[jmlaw]

I do a lot of driving for work and also usually end up having some other work related expenses each month, so I am putting all of my expense/mileage reimbursement checks into our Disney savings account as well as any other little windfalls that come my way during the year. It adds up pretty fast.

My son and my niece both worked Cub Scout resident camp this summer and saved every penny they earned for our next trip too. I am still shocked that tho 15 yo saved their money!

We have a budget and plan to have it all saved up so we just booked CR Tower MK view for August 2008 with the new deluxe dining plan! I can hardly wait!

 

[Belle's Mom Tink]

I just used my Disney Reward card to buy airline tickets to Vegas, woohoo more Disney Reward Dollars!!!!

 

[mrincredible2008]

Shop At Walmart. The Prices And Savings Are Incredible!!!!!!!!!